Editorial: Hits and misses

HIT — It was revealing to see some of the concrete barriers removed from the northbound stretch of Highway 99 between Highway 32 and East First Avenue.

Oh, so that's what they've been doing.

The barriers pretty well blocked view of the project to add a third lane to the freeway between those two exits, and it seemed like nothing was changing. But low and behold, the reveal showed asphalt stretching across the former gap between the northbound and southbound lanes.

Directly, a concrete barrier will be erected down the center, and traffic will be moved to the new pavement, so the work necessary on the outside of the freeway embankment can be completed.

And while roadwork does move at glacial speed, this project is flying, believe it or not. It's expected to be finished next fall, a full year ahead of schedule.

MISS — While the demise of the Twinkie is definitely a loss to Western Civilization, we'd advise folks to calm down about it.

Hostess Brands, maker of the iconic food-like object and other snacks and breads, is moving to liquidate after a crippling strike.

People responded to the news by buying armloads of the things. Some, we'd hope, wanted a supply to tide themselves over for a while. Others, however, saw an investment. Twinkies are already being offered for sale on eBay at outrageous prices.

Please don't bite on that. The odds that the Twinkie is going away are minimal.

Liquidation means Hostess will be selling its assets. One of those assets is the Twinkie name and recipe. If another company doesn't buy the rights and start cranking out the things within six months, we'll be surprised.

And then, all will once again be well in the world.

HIT — A project that was a decade in the making finally came to fruition this week as Enloe Medical Center opened its sparkling new tower. That instantly doubled the size of a hospital that was definitely nearing capacity.

Patients were moved into the new Magnolia Tower starting Tuesday. The tower is the biggest piece of a $178 million expansion known as the Enloe Century Project. It was the subject of debate for months in the community as neighbors and the City Council put more and more demands on Enloe before the expansion project could proceed.

We salute Enloe for persevering and improving one of Butte County's greatest assets.

MISS — As we mentioned earlier this week in an editorial criticizing the California State University trustees for proposing tuition increases the week after voters passed a proposition promised to at least temporarily halt such things, timing is everything.

Maybe Gov. Jerry Brown needs a lesson in timing too.

Brown named a new leader for the beleaguered State Parks Department, a retired Marine Corps general. Normally, nobody would doubt that a 36-year military veteran could bring some much-needed discipline to the State Parks Department. But military generals were in the news for the wrong reasons this week.

There was a general who slept with his biographer and undoubtedly allowed a bit too much access to sensitive information. There was another general being investigated for improper communications with a socialite. Yet another general removed from command for lavish travel spending. And still another is facing charges of sexual harassment.

There's nothing to suggest the new director of State Parks, Maj. Gen. Anthony Jackson, 63, won't do an outstanding job. But a month ago, or even a month from now, nobody would have wondered.

"Hits and misses" appears each Saturday. Items are compiled by the editorial board.